1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fastener which is used to bundle elongate articles such as electric wires with a band.
2. Background
A conventional bundling fastener will be described with reference to FIG. 21. As shown in FIG. 21 , the conventional bundling fastener a has a vertically extending band support hole b, and locking pieces c.sub.1 and c.sub.2 projecting toward each other proximate the upper edge of the band supporting hole b. A band d having engaging projection d on one side thereof is passed through the band supporting hole b, and wrapped around a bundle of articles w, such as electric wires. Thereafter, the end portion d.sub.2 of the band d is again passed through the band supporting hole b, and is engaged with one locking piece c.sub.2 through the engaging projections d.sub.1. Under this condition, the supply side d.sub.3 of the band d is pulled outwardly to tighten the articles so that it is engaged with the other locking projections c.sub.1. Thereafter, the surplus of the band d is cut off. Such an arrangement is disclosed in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 35876/1975.
With the conventional bundling fastener described above, the band is removed after tightening the articles, and therefore excess band is not used. However, the bundling fastener is still disadvantageous in that undesireable spaces are formed between the bundled articles w and the bundling fastener a so that the fastener a protrudes from the articles w. Thus, the bundling fastener a makes inefficient utilization of space. FIG. 22 illustrates another example of a conventional bundling fastener which is disclosed in Japanese Utility Patent Application (OPI) No. 34182/1981 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application"). This bundling fastener a' comprises upper and lower band inserting chambers b.sub.1 ' and b.sub.2 ' having flexible locking members c.sub.1 ' and c.sub.2 ', respectively. With this bundling fastener a', the band d' having engaging projections d.sub.1 ', on both sides thereof is cut in advance to a length which is long enough to bundle elongate articles w such as electric wires. One end portion d.sub.2 ' of the band is inserted into the lower band inserting chamber b.sub.2 ' and is locked to the flexible locking piece c.sub.2 '. Under this condition, while the elongate articles w is being bundled with the band, the other end portion d.sub.3 ' is inserted into the upper chamber b.sub.1 ' and pulled outwardly. The surplus of the band is then removed.
Hence, the bundling fastener is free from the difficulty accompanying the bundling fastener described with reference to FIG. 21. However, it is still disadvantageous in that the band is not economically used because it is cut in advance. Thus, the probability of wasting a portion of the band is great.